Natural disasters can and do happen anywhere, anytime. With advancements in technological communications we have the ability to learn about disasters as they happen, 24/7. Because of this we also have a responsibility to provide humanitarian aid whenever possible. Realistically, we can't simply drop what we're doing and travel across the country or across the world to render help. But thanks once again to technology, we can log onto various websites and offer our support through monetary means. We can also visit these sites to educate ourselves on the various and insightful information they provide.
Studying about natural disasters in the classroom and teaching about how these events impact the environment and people's lives provides an opportunity for students to find ways to be actively involved in humanitarian aid while gaining scientific knowledge about their world. Students can see how combining science and helping others can be applied to real world events, which can propel them to get involved. Starting out by learning about local organizations can expose them to efforts close to home. From there they can branch out to other organizations around the country and the world.
Encouraging students to create their own blogs can also provide a platform in which they can showcase their involvement and efforts, and give them something to be proud of. They can title their entry with "Caring is Cool."
Here are some sites to get students involved:
www.exploringabroad.com/humanitarian-org.htm
www.globalcorps.com
www.unicefusa.org/partners
www.children.org
